TamalesHard

Red Pork Tamales

Name: Red Pork Tamales
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 150 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 500 ml Pork stock; 3 Dried ancho chilli; 2 cloves Garlic; 8 Dried guajillo chilli; 0.5 tsp Cumin; 700 g Cooked pork shoulder; 1 kg Masa flour for tamales; 50 Dried corn husks; 2 Tomato; 500 g Lard; 1 tbsp Salt; 1 tbsp Baking powder

150 min (60 prep + 90 cook) Hard 25 servings Centro de Mexico

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 4 Feb 2026 · Updated: 10 Mar 2026

Corn masa tamales filled with pork in a rich red guajillo and ancho chilli sauce.

About this recipe

Red pork tamales are an unmissable Mexican classic. Fluffy masa dough encases tender pieces of pork bathed in a rich red sauce made from guajillo and ancho chillies. Wrapped in corn husks and steamed for an hour and a half, they emerge perfectly cooked and deeply satisfying.

History & Origin

Red pork tamales are one of the most classic combinations in Mexican tamal-making, the result of the fusion of pre-Hispanic sweetcorn dough with the pork introduced by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. The red sauce made from guajillo and ancho chillies is a direct descendant of the sauces that the Aztecs prepared with dried chillies to accompany their ceremonial foods. In colonial México, pork tamales became a staple of festivities such as Christmas and the Day of the Dead. It is said that a good tamal can be recognised by how perfectly the dough 'puffs up', thanks to the correct beating of the lard. Traditionally they are sold in the mornings on street corners across Mexican cities, wrapped in large aluminium pots covered with blankets.

Estimated cost

£12.34

Total cost

£0.49

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

446

Calories

23g

Protein

45g

Carbohydrates

21g

Fat

Fibre

704mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Remoja the hojas de maiz en water hot durante al less 1 hour. Escurre y reserva.
2
Prepare the red salsa: remove the stalks, seeds and veins from the guajillo and ancho chillies. Toast them on a comal for 30 seconds per side and soak them in hot water for 20 minutes.
3
Blend the soaked chillies with the tomatoes (previously charred on a comal), garlic, cumin and salt with a splash of the soaking water until you have a smooth salsa. Strain the salsa to remove any remaining skin.
4
Corta la espaldilla de pork cocida in pieces pequenos. Mezcla la carne with enough salsa roja for cubrirla well. Reserva.
💡 Si cueces la pork tu same, guarda el stock for preparar la corn dough (masa); le dara mucho mas flavour.
5
Beat the pork lard at high speed for 5 minutes until spongy and white. The water test: a small ball of lard should float.
6
Add the maize flour, baking powder, salt and warm pork stock. Beat for 3-4 minutes until you have a soft, spreadable dough.
7
Unta 2 tablespoons generosas de corn dough (masa) en each hoja de maiz. Coloca a tablespoon de puerco en salsa roja en el centre. Envuelve doblando the lados y la punta inferior.
8
Acomoda the tamales de pie en la vaporera with water y a moneda en el bottom. Cubre with hojas y un trapo humedo.
9
Steam for 1 hour and a half over medium heat. Check that the water does not run out; top up if needed. The tamal is ready when the husk peels away cleanly from the dough.
10
Deja reposar 10 minutes with la vaporera apagada before de servir.
💡 Estos tamales se can congelar ya cocidos. For recalentarlos, vaporiza de new durante 20 minutes.